Scarlett: (GxG)

Chapter 18

Eventually I excused myself from the table in order to grab something to clean the broken glass and blood. Lee was busy enough. Leaving Scarlett at the table alone worried me for a moment, but after I made my boundaries known, I didn't feel as if I had to worry. In fact I was sure my brothers would ignore her entirely which was best for her.

Lee wasn't in the kitchen which meant she was possibly on the roof with Rosalynn. I foraged around under the sink. A dustpan and some rags were all I needed to clean the mess. Reaching to the far back of the cabinet, I got down on my knees. I heard the door open and footsteps moving around the kitchen island toward me. Seeing black dress pants,  I almost assumed it was Scarlett. It was a good thing I didn't.

"I thought I told you to leave."

"Rian, I'm not in the mood."

I was just pulling out the dustpan when I saw his shiny black shoe coming at me. I blocked it with my forearm but the force still sent me sprawling onto my back. His shoe came down hard on my chest, pushing the air from my lungs.

"Do you think you impressed me with that little stunt at the table? You're weak, Zoey. Five years away has gotten you fat and lazy."

He smirked down at me, pressing a little harder on my chest.

"You might have that dog babysitting you right now. But who's going to do it when Robert's gone?"

There was a little bit of truth there in his words, things I'd thought about on and off over the past few days. Of course, I wasn't going to let him know that.

"What do you want from me?" I wheezed.

"For you to go back to whatever hole you came from."

His smirk widened a little.

While he was ready to gloat over me I knew this was my chance. With his foot planted squarely on my chest, I grabbed it and turned it as hard as I could. I heard Rian grunt as he stumbled and felt those precious bones in his ankle wanting to give. With him fighting for balance, I got to my feet. He was grabbing for me in an instant. Supernatural speed turned his pale hand into a blur but for that small amount of time, three seconds at best, I was quicker. I dodged him, barely. Channeling the strength I knew was hiding in my bones, I brought my bare foot up and kicked him dead in the stomach.

Rian's body flew back into the counter. His yellow hair was wild, framing a face that had gone from arrogant to seething. Blood just barely pushed out between his lips. I'd hurt him. That had been my goal. But I hadn't thought of what in the hell to do after that.

"Rian..."

He was a blur coming at me. I dodged his hand once, but the second time his hand gripped my throat, lifting me off the ground. Sharp nails dug into my skin.

"Pathetic," he spat. "You're nothing like you once were."

I couldn't breathe and the panic had me reaching for anything close to me. My fingers crawled desperately across the granite countertop. When I felt the handle of a kitchen knife, what came next was just pure instinct.

His shirt ripped like paper. I watched Rian's blue eyes tinged with red suddenly draw wide. Fingers loosened at my throat, letting me feel the floor under my feet again. We both looked at my hand. The knife had cut through the front of his shirt and poked out through the collar. The blade itself rested on the smooth pale skin of his throat. Somehow I'd managed to not cut him at all.

"Were you going to kill me, dear sister?"

My words stumbled out of my mouth.

"N-no! I swear I..."